Clothes-pressing machine



May 22, 1928.

E. l. CHAPIN CLOTHES PRESSING MACHINE Filed June 6, 1925 4 Sheets$heet May 22, 1928. 1,670,529

E. l. CHAPIN CLOTHES PRESS ING MACHINE Filed June 6, 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 May 22, 1928.

E. I. CHAPIN Q CLOTHES PRESSING MACHINE Filed June 1923 4 Sheets-Sheet .ZZII 5? m May 22, 1928.

E. I. CHAPIN CLOTHES PRESSING MACHINE Filed June 1923 4 Sheets-Sheet Patented May 22, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD I. CHAPIN, OF SYRACUSE NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T CHAPIN-SKELTON COR- PORATION, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

onornns-rnnssme nmonmn.

Application filed June 6, 1923. Serial No. 648,756.

This invention relates to a garment pressing machine in which a movable pressing element is moved to its pressing position by the straightening of a toggle connection between that element and the frame of the machine, and is moved from its pressing position by an overbalancing counter-weight which, incidentally flexes the toggle after its members have been slightly deflected from a straight line to permit the automatic opening movement of said element by the counter-weight.

In most of the machines now I use,.tl1e toggle is moved to its straightened position by means of a pedal lever and 1s adjustably connected to the movable pressing element for varying the pressure upon the garment. I

This adjustment should be made to impart relatively high pressure to the garment in order that the shaping of the latter may be more permanent, thereby requiring considerable pressure upon the pedal lever, which, of course, renders the work more laborious than would be the case if the ad-.

more or less dampened condition or they are slightly dampened by the application of steam thereto during the pressing operation, so as to render the garment more pliable for shaping under pressure and .under these circumstances, the moisture imparted to the garment must be removed or completely evaporated by the heat imparted thereto by the pressing elements in order to impart a more permanent shape to the garment and also to prevent wrinkling of the garment after it has been pressed and laid aside as would be the case if it contained any moisture. 50 The main ob'ect, therefore, of this invention is not only to assure the application of sufficient pressure to the garment to properly shape the same, but also to main tain that pressure under the heat of the in common pressing elements for a suflicient period of time to assure the thorough drying of the garment-before the removal from the machine without undue loss of time so that the net result may be greater efiiciency and increased production.

In other words, I have sought to straighten the toggle'and thereby to force the pressing head to its pressing position by means of a motor driven rotary cam and to provide means for automatically locking the toggle in its straightened position and thereby, to hold the pressing head in its pressing position for indefinite periods of time according to the nature of the work operated upon or untitl released by the voluntary act of the opera or.

Another object is to provide-simple and efiicient means controlling the operation of the cam and thereby controlling the closing movement of the press head upon the work, particularly while the latter is being spread out by hand upon the buck preparatory to pressing and incidentally, reducing the liability of injury to the hands of the operator by contact with the heated head or by being caught between the pressing elements. I

Other objects and uses relating to specific parts of the machine will be brought. out in the following description.

In the drawings:

Flgure 1 is a rear elevation of a garment pressing machine embodying the various features of my invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation, partly in section, taken on line 2-2, Figure 1.

Figures 3 and 4 are enlarged detail sectional views taken respectively on line 33, and 4-4, Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a detail sectional view taken on line 55, Figure 1, portions of the frame being broken away,

Figures 6 and 7 are detail sectional views taken respectively in the planes of lines 66,'

and 7-7, Figure 5.

As illustrated, this machine comprises an upright frame --1 having front and rear brackets -2'- and 3 rising from a horizontal ledge 4 upon which is mounted axis substantially parallel with the longitudinal centers of the buck -6 and head- -7- and some distance to the rear thereof so as to leave a clear open space entirely around the marginal edges of the buck for convenience of manipulation of the garment thereon. i

The upper portion of the rear bracket -'3 is bifurcated as shown in Figure 1 to form oppositetransversely spaced arms between and upon which the central portion of the rock arm or lever 8 is pivoted and supports at its front end, the press head 7-, while the rear end carries an adjusting screw 10 to which is pivotally connected at one end, a toggle 1lhaving its other end pivoted atl2 to the frame of the machine as shownin Figure 2.

The rear end of the supporting arm -8 for the head 7- is provided with a weighted member --13 adapted to over-' balance the weight of the head -7- for opening the latter from the work when the toggle .11-- is flexed from a straight line toward the position shown by dotted lines in Figure 2.

The pressing elements 6 and -7 may be provided with the usual steam chambers for heating and moistening urposes or may be heated by any other suit-a le heating means, the head being shown as provided with a steam inlet pipe 14- adapted to be connected to any available source of steam or hot water supply.

A handle -15 on the head 7- serves as a means for rocking said head upon itsthe action of the counter-Weight --13.

The toggle 11- preferably consists of a lower member -ll and an upper member --11' having their adjacent ends ivoted to each other at -16 to form a exing joint, the axis of which is parallel with the pivotal bearing of the rock arm --8, the upper member -11" being pivotally connected at -17 to the adjusting screw -10 on the rear end of the arm -8-.

The lower member -11 is pivoted intermediate its ends at -12 to the frame 1 and has its lower end provided with a weight -18 which serves to assist the movement of the toggle from its flexed position shown by dotted lines in Figure 2, to its straightened position shown by full lines in the same figure by its own momentum when started from its position of rest in a manner hereafter described to assure the straightening of the toggle and resultant closing of the press head upon the work.

The pivotal bearings 12 and 17- are also parallel with the pivotal bearing 9 of the press head, the bearing -12 causes the lower member -1l' to assume approximately a horizontal positionv when.

the press head is fully opened, and the member 11"'- assumes a substantially vertical position .as shown by dotted lines in Figure 2.

Toggle straightening means.

An electric motor'20- is mounted upon the main supporting frame -1 some distance below the work table5 with its armature shaft in a horizontal position and provided with a fly wheel 21-- connected by a universal joint -22 to an extension -23 of said shaft, said extension being connected in turn to a worm shaft .24-,

which is journaled in a suitable gear case -25 and is provided with a worm .-26.

at the rear of the machine.

A horizontal cam shaft -27 is also journaled in the gear case '-25 at right angles to the shaft 24-- and is provided at one end with a cam 28 keyed thereto to rotate therewith in substantially the same plane as that of the toggle 11- for moving the latter to a straightened position in a manner presently described.

' The opposite end of said shaft is provided with a clutch collar -29 having a clutch pin -30 movable axially therein into and out of engagement with a companion coaxial clutch member 31 which is journaled in the gear case or housing 25 and upon the adjacent portion of the cam shaft -27- for relative rotation thereon.

This clutch member 31 is provided with a hub -32- extending into the gear case 25' and to which is keyed or otherwise secured, a worm wheel 33 meshing with the worm 26 and adapted to be rotated thereby for rotating the-clutch member 31.

The end of this clutch member 31 adjacent the clutch member .29- is enlarged and is provided with a series of axially extending openings 34 arranged in uniformly spaced relation about the axis thereof for receiving the clutch pin 30- which, when released is spring-pressed into one or the other of the registering openings 34 by means of a coil spring 35, Figure 4. said clutch pin being provided with a stud or pin 36- projecting outwardly through an elongated slot 3'Z in the adjacent portion of the clutch member 29 for shifting the clutch pin into and out of any one of the registering openings 34 and thereso I III

by locking and unlocking the coupling mem- 1m ber 29 and cam shaft -27- to and from the coupling member -31 and worm gear v A clutch operatin lever is pivoted intermediate its en s at 39 to the outer end of the gear case -25 to rock about. an axis parallel with that of the cam shaft 27 andis provided at its rear end with a cam 40 for engaging the stud or pin 3G- and withdrawing the clutch bolt -30 from the clutch member 31'- against the action of the spring -35 when the lever is rocked in one direction.

The front end of the lever -+38 is connected by an upwardly extending link 41- to one arm of a bell crank lever 42- which is pivoted at 43 to a bracket -44-- on the under side of the work table 5.

The other arm of the bell crank lever 42 is connected by a forwardly extending 1ink -45-- to one arm 46 of a hand lever 47 which is pivoted at 48- to a bracket 49 on the underside of the work table 5-, Figures 5 and 6, within easy reachin distance of the hand of the operator and serves as a part of the operating means for the clutch shifting lever 38 to control the operation of the cam shaft 27- and thereby to control the closing movement of the press head.

A crank shaft 50 is journaled in suitable brackets 49 and 51- on the underside of the table 5 parallel with the axis of the pivot 48- and is provided at one end with a detent -52-- movable into and.

out of engagement with a shoulder 53 on the upper side of the hub of the hand lever 47 to normally hold said lever against upward movement until the detent is tripped, the other end of said rock shaft 50 being provided with a hand lever 47'- somewhat similar to the hand lever 47 for rocking said shaft to trip the detent 52 and thereby to release the lever 47 and allow the latter to be raised for shifting the cam lever 38- and clutch pin 30 controlled thereby.

The periphery of the clutch member 29 is preferably circular to form a brake drum while the inner end of the clutch shifting lever -38-- and cam portion 40 is preferably concave to form a brake shoe for engaging the periphery of the clutch member 29 to retard the rotation of the cam shaft 27' when the clutch pin 30 is withdrawn from the clutch member -34-, said shifting lever 38-'- being retracted by a spring -38'- which also serves to normally hold the brake surface as 40'- of the lever against the periphery of the clutch member -29.

The cam 40:- projects laterally from 7 one side of the shifting lever -38 lengthwise of the periphery of the clutch member 29 and has its outer edge beveled in opwhen the .stud 36 reaches the high point I of the cam.

The upper beveled surface is relatively short or abrupt so that when the adjacent end of the lever is rocked downwardly by the upward movement of the hand lever I 47, it will release the stud 36 and allow the' spring 35 to force the clutch pin -30.- into the aperture 34- registering therewith, thereby locking the two clutch members together and causing the rotation of the cam shaft -27- with the cam 28 thereon in the direction indicated.

by the arrow, Figure 2. The means for transmitting motion fro the cam 28 to the toggle 11- consists of a forwardly and rearwardly extending lever 54- having its front end pivoted at -55- to the frame -1 some distance be low and parallel with the pivot 12 of the toggle arm 11'- and its rear end extended rearwardly and upwardly from the pivot 55, and provided with a roller -56'- adapted to engage a bearing --56'- on the rear face of the toggle arm 11 v between the pivots 12- and -16, the intermediate portion of said lever being pro vided with a stop 57 adapted to engage a rubber bufier 58 on the base of the frame and thereby to limit the rearward flexing movement of the toggle and incidentally limitin the opening movement of the press, head by the weight -13.

A pairof levers -59 and 59'- are ivoted at +60- to a bracket 61- on the ower rear portion of the frame 1-, the lever -69 being connected by a link 62- to the lever --54 between the pivot -55- and stop 57-.

The rear end of the other lever -59' is 1 provided with a roller bearing -63 adapt ed to be engaged by the cam 28- as the latter is rotated in a direction indicated by the arrow, thereon, Figure 2.

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65- at the rear side of its pivot -6()-- for engagement with the extension 64 for adjusting parts -59 and 59' about their common pivot -60- and thereby to assure a sufficient movement of the lever 5 i'to straighten the toggle by the maximum throw of the cam --28 acting upon the arm -59 although it is evident that the arms -59 and 59' may be rigidly secured to each other or made integral without departing from the spirit of this part of the invention.

The upper end of the toggle arm 11 is provided with a yielding buffer 66 adapted to engage a fixed stop as -67 on the frame -1-, to limit the movement of the toggle to a substantially straight line from its normal flexed position.

As the toggle -11-- has been forced to its straightened osition b the cam -28--, through the me ium of t e levers -59 59- and v54- and links 62-, it is automatically locked in that position against rebound, by means of a catch 68, Figure 2, pivoted at 69- to a bracket '70 which in turn is rovided with a rearward extension --70 carrying a pivoted member -71-, 'the latter being adapted to be operated against an extension 73- of the catch --68-'- by the upwardly extending arm of the lever 54- as the latter is urged against the rear face of the toggle member 11' in straightening the toggle. I

A coil spring 74- is interposed between the pivoted member -71- and extension --73- to allow limited variation of movement of the member -7 1 by the lever 54-, and to retract said member 71.

A similar coil spring 75 is interposed between the catch 68 and bracket 70- to allow the latter to yield sufiiciently to cause its hook-shaped extremity -76 to engage a pin 77 on the toggle arm --11 and also to force said catch out t engagement with the pin -77 when the lever --54- is returned by its own weight away from the toggle after being released by the continued rotation of the cam 28 or when the low oint of the cam is registering with the ro ler 63-.

The heel of the pivoted member --71- is provided with a stop shoulder -78- adapted to engage the underside of the extension -"0' to limit the rearward swinging movement of said member by its retracting spring 74.

That is, after the toggle 11- has been straightened to force the press head to its straightened position, it may remain in that position at the will of the operator, but when the cam 28 returns to its starting position with its low point in contact with the roller -G3, the catch operating member -71 will have been released by the lever -54 and retracted to its normal position by the spring 74 thereby releasing the catch 68 and allowing the latter to he moved out of engagement with the pin -77 by the retracting spring 75.

Under these conditions, the toggle may be flexed rearwardly and downwardly at the will of the operator through the medium of a pedal lever 80 which is pivoted at coaxial with the pivot of the lever 54 and extends upwardly therefrom, the upper end of said pedal lever being adapted to engage the rear side of a pin or roller 81 on the weighted end of the toggle lever -11 as shown by full lines in Figure 1, and by dotted lines in Figure 2.

As soon as the toggle joint --l 6- is flexed from its straightened position, by the operation of the pedal -80, the press head will be raised by its counterweight 13 thereby further flexing the toggle until its lower member -'11' rests upon the retracted operating lever 54.-- ready for a repetition of the pressing operation.

Operation.

Assuming that the press head has been forced from its normally open dotted position, Figure 2, to its full line pressing position by a previous revolution of the cam 28-, and that the latter is in its starting position at the end of said revolution, as shown by full lines in Figure 2 in which case, the lever 54 and its actuating parts will assume the position shown by full lines whilethe catch- 68- and its operating member 71- will assume the position shown by dotted lines .in said figure; then the voluntary operation of the pedal lever -80 against the pin -8l will flex the toggle joint 16 rearwardly to break the toggle lock, and thereby permit the weight -13 to raise the head 7 and further flex the toggle 11 until its member 11- rests upon the retracted upper end of the lever 54 ready to begin another pressing operation.

The motor and worm gear 33 driven thereby may be continuously rotated independently of the cam shaft -2'7 and when it is desired to press a garment, the latter is spread out upon the buck -6 and when properly arranged for pressing. the hand lever -47 directly under the table will first be operated by one hand, the left hand, to trip the detent 5E2 after which, the other lever 47 will be operated to shift the cam lever 38--- from the position shown by full lines to that shown by dotted lines in Figure 5, to withdraw the high point of the cam 40- from the Stop pin 36 and allow the clutch pin to be forced by the spring into one of the registering apertures 34 in the then rotating clutch member 31, thereby causing the rotation of the cam shaft 27 and cam 28 one complete revolution or until the stud 36 returns and rides to the high point of the cam for withdrawing the clutch pin at which time, the revolution of the shaft -27 and cam 28 will cease, leaving the cam 28 in the position shown by full line Figure 2.

Each revolution of the cam 28- will cause the operation of the lever -5& to

force the toggle 11-- to its straightened position which in turn will force-the press head into pressing engagement with the work upon the buck -6 and at the same time, the upwardly extending arm of the lever 54 will force the member -71- against the extension 73-- of the catch -68- to cause the latter to interlock with the 'pin 77 and thereby to prevent rebound of the toggle from its straightened position, which may remain straightened at the will of the operator or until released by the operation of the pedal -80-, it being understood that as soon as the cam -28- returns to its starting position, as shown in Figure 2, the lever 54 and its actuating parts will also return by their own weight .to their normal positions ready for a repetition of the operation previously described.

I claim:

1. In a garment-pressing machine having a frame and cooperative pressing elements, one of which is movable toward and from the other, a retracting means for the movable pressing element, a toggle connecting the movable pressing element to the frame, a Weight on one of the toggle members for assisting the movement of the toggle toward its straightened position, a motor, motordriven means including a clutch for actuating the toggle from its extreme retracted position to a straightened position, and means including a cam for disengaging the clutzh members when the toggle is straightene 2. In a garment-pressing machine having a frame and cooperative pressing elements, one of which is movable toward and from the other, in combination with a toggle connecting the movable element to the frame for opening and closing the movable element and looking it in its closed position when moved to a straightened posit-ion, a power driven rotary cam; means actuated by the cam for moving the toggle from its extreme flexed position to its straightened locking position, and means operable at will for flexing the toggle from its straightened position independently of the cam operated means. i

3. In a garment-pressing machine having a frame and cooperative pressing elements, one of which is movable toward and from the other, toggle connections between the frame and the movable pressing element, re-

tracting means for opening the movable pressing element and for flexing the toggle away from a straightened position, a motor, means actuated by the motor for forcing the toggle to a straightened position, a shoulder on one of the toggle members, a catch pivoted to the frame, and means actuated by the toggle-straightening means for forcing said catch into engagement with said shoulder when the toggle is straightened to prevent rebound of the toggle, and means operable at will for flexing the toggle from its straightened position.

4. In a garment pressing machine having a frame and cooperative pressing elements, one of which is self-opening and movable toward and from the other, toggle connections between the frame and movable element, a motor driven rotary cam, means.

for automatically stopping the cam at the end of each complete revolution, means actuated by the cam for moving the toggle from its extreme flexed position to a straightened locking position and a pedal lever operable at Will for flexing the toggle from its straightened position.

5. In a garment pressing machine having a frame and coo erative pressing elements, one of which is self-opening and movable toward and from the other, toggle connections between the movable element and frame, a rotary cam-shaft, a cam secured to the shaft, a continuously rotating motor, means including a clutch for transmitting rotary motion from the motor to the cam shaft, means operable at will to cause the engagement of the clutch, means for automatically disengaging the clutch at the end of each complete revolution of the cam shaft and cam thereon, means actuated by the cam during one complete revolution thereof for moving the toggle from its extreme flexed to its straightened locked position, and a pedal lever operable at will for flexing the toggle from its straightened position to permit the opening of the movable pressing element.

6. In a garment pressing machine having a frame and cooperative pressing elements, one of which is movable toward and from the other, toggle connections between the movable pressing element and frame, means for retracting the movable element and for flexing the toggle from its straightened position, a lever pivoted to the frame for forcing the toggle to a straightened position, said lever being retractable independently of the toggle, a motor, and means including a rotary cam actuated by the motor for op erating said lever to-force the toggle to its: straightened position, and to allow the-retraction of the lever during one revolution of the cam.

7. A garment pressing machine, as in claim 6, in which the cam operating means includes a clutch, and means for releasing the clutch at the end of one revolution of the cam.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 24th day of May 1923.

EDWARD I. CHAPIN. 

